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May 15, 2015IT’S HERE! The 2016 Miranda Bouldin STEM Scholarship Essay Contest!
February 29, 2016Introducing the 2015 Miranda Bouldin STEM Scholarship Winners!
Inspire & Achieve is based upon the conviction that an education is essential to a healthy society. Our vision is to ensure higher education continues to be a catalyst for positive change and a force that can transform the lives of individuals and families while advancing the economic and civic health of societies.
This year we are pleased to have continued our mission of giving qualifying local area high school seniors the opportunity to reach their dreams. Of the over 40 entries submitted by local area students in Madison, Morgan, Lawrence and Limestone counties in 2015, ten were awarded the prestigious Miranda Bouldin STEM Scholarship.
The Miranda Bouldin STEM Scholarship is designed to encourage students to pursue study in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) while attending a 4-year Alabama college or university, and upon graduation, use that knowledge in support of the Defense Industry.
Award winners received $1,500 scholarships and a laptop computer by writing a winning essay on one of the following four topics:
- What do you consider the single most important cyber problem affecting the U.S. Department of Defense today? Why?
- Discuss how your interest in your STEM field developed and describe your experience in the field and what you gained from this involvement.
- Describe your most meaningful achievements and how they relate to your STEM field of study.
- Why does STEM education matter to your community?
Let’s Meet Our 2015 Miranda Bouldin STEM Scholarship Winners!
Andrew Adkins
Bob Jones High School
Auburn University
Andrew Adkins, graduate of Bob Jones High school in Huntsville, Alabama, will be attending Auburn University Fall of 2015. While at Bob Jones high school, Andrew managed a cumulative 4.3 GPA and was a very active participant Boy Scouts and other clubs and honor societies on campus. After having so many engaging experiences at Bob Jones, Andrew plans on pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy at Auburn University.
Seth Gipson
Madison County High School
University of North Alabama
Seth Gipson, graduate of Madison County High school in Gurley, Alabama, will be attending the University of North Alabama in the Fall of 2015. Seth can be best described by his dedication, persistence, and drive through the projects and activities that he has been involved with. At Madison County High, Seth maintained a cumulative 4.1 GPA and enjoyed being challenged in and outside of the classroom. Seth plans on pursuing a degree in Physics as he believes physics can be used to build technology that will impact people’s lives forever.
Joshua Gooch
Hazel Green High School
Auburn University
1. What is your advice for high school juniors who are starting the college search process?
My advice to those who are starting their college search is to keep an open mind and see what colleges have to offer you. Decide what your career path is going to be and see if the college you are looking into has a good program for your field. Narrow your search and stick to your gut instinct when it comes to making that final decision on where you want to attend.
2. What are you looking forward to most about college?
I am most looking forward to the overall college experience. The new place, new people, and new freedoms are all things I look forward to as I go to college. I feel that college is a big opportunity to mold myself into the person I am going to be for the rest of my life and all of the new and exciting things I will be introduced to and involved in are going to change my life and I am very much looking forward to it.
3. Some students shy away from applying for too many scholarship opportunities because of the fear of not receiving them, what motivated you to apply to this scholarship or others?
The motivation to apply for scholarships came from the fact that I am having to pay for half of my college expenses and also my mother. Every scholarship I applied for was a chance to reduce the loan money I am going to have to pay back after college. I am much more interested in using my degree and job to pay for a new car and such after school than student loans. My mother has been pushing me to apply for a lot of scholarships and I probably wouldn’t have applied for as many of them as I did without her keeping me on track. When I receive a scholarship both she and I feel a sense of accomplishment and since I have won some there is no reason why I can’t earn more.
4. What are you most nervous about concerning college?
I am most nervous about the large amount of responsibility I am going to obtain when I move off to college. I am going to have to take care of myself and make sure I get all of my school work done without anyone there to remind me of things. The intensified school work is also something I am nervous about and hope I find a study system that works well for me so I can maintain good grades and keep my scholarship.
Akira Grantham
Sparkman High School
University of Alabama Huntsville
1. What is your advice for high school juniors who are starting the college search process?
My advice to high school juniors starting to search for a college is search for one based on your career choice, and then find the ones that have other fields you might be interested in as well as your first choice so that you are prepared if your first option does not work out.
2. What are you looking forward to most about college?
In college I am looking forward to meeting many new people and getting to know people who can help me later on in life.
3. How do you think you could inspire diversity in the STEM industry? ( Improving technology, improving education, pre-student exposure etc.)
4. Who inspires you the most about the science, technology, engineering or mathematics fields? Why?
5. Some students shy away from applying for too many scholarship opportunities because of the fear of not receiving them, what motivated you to apply to this scholarship or others?
The main thing that motivated me to getting this scholarship is the knowledge that even if i did not make it, i would have done the best i could to achieve my goal.
6. What are you most nervous about concerning college?
The thing that has me the most nervous about college is that i will be entering a whole new environment, and the teaching will be completely different from what i have experienced before.
7. What is your personal strategy for success?
My personal strategy for success is that you try get what is assigned done the moment you get it so that you have time to respond if anything comes up.
Kaleigh Hudson
Lawrence County High School
Samford University
1. What is your advice for high school juniors who are starting the college search process?
Do not limit yourself! This is a critical season of life, and you do not want to look back and wish you had done more! Try things you’ve always wanted to try, do things you’ve never had the nerve to do. Apply to your dream school and study what interests you. This is a transitional, emotional, and exciting time in your life. You can shy away from opportunity because of fear, or you can embrace possibility. Decide to become who you have always wanted to be.
2. What are you looking forward to most about college?
In college, I am most looking forward to discovering myself and the world of opportunities that awaits me. This is the time to become who I am created to be!
3. Some students shy away from applying for too many scholarship opportunities because of the fear of not receiving them, what motivated you to apply to this scholarship or others?
I almost did not apply for this scholarship because of the fear of not receiving it. I was competing against classmates that were ranked much higher than me. The level of competition actually did end up motivating me, because I wanted to see what I was capable of. Hard work and determination definitely pay off, never let fear stand in your way.
4. What are you most nervous about concerning college?
I am most nervous about meeting people once again. I have moved several times throughout my life, so making new friends is always difficult, but I know I have the opportunity to make friends that will last a lifetime.
Marissa Owens
Sparkman High School
Alabama A&M University
1. What is your advice for high school juniors who are starting the college search process?
My advice for juniors who are starting to search for colleges is to apply to as many colleges as possible, even the colleges they do not want to go to.
2. What are you looking forward to most about college?
I am looking forward to meeting new people and continuing my education.
3. How do you think you could inspire diversity in the STEM industry? ( Improving technology, improving education, pre-student exposure etc.)
I believe I could inspire diversity in the STEM industry by introducing technology in almost anywhere it can be used.
4. Who inspires you the most about the science, technology, engineering or mathematics fields? Why?
My mother inspires me, because she studied computer science in college and she knows a lot about the entire STEM industry.
5. Some students shy away from applying for too many scholarship opportunities because of the fear of not receiving them, what motivated you to apply to this scholarship or others?
I was shy about applying to scholarships until I received my first scholarship. My mother made me apply to this scholarship and I’m glad she did. I am motivated by the fact that I could come out of college dept free, which would be “dream come true”.
6. What are you most nervous about concerning college?
The only thing I am nervous about is how much work it will be.
7. What is your personal strategy for success?
My personal strategy for success is to be the best at whatever I am doing and to never give up; no matter how impossible the job may seem.
Jackson Pettus
Athens High School
Auburn University
1. What is your advice for high school juniors who are starting the college search process?
I would advise high school juniors to keep an open mind when starting the college search process. Many people choose a college for the wrong reason: because their friends are going there, because their parents want them to go there, or because of things like sports. I would encourage them to think about what they really want to do in the future and what they want to accomplish. Once they do this, they can search for the specific school that will allow them to accomplish their goals for the future.
2. What are you looking forward to most about college?
I am looking forward to the various classes in college most. I am curious as to how different and how much more difficult they will be. I am also looking forward to the classes because this is where I will be learning about the skills that I will use in the future in my profession of software engineering.
3. How do you think you could inspire diversity in the STEM industry? (Improving technology, improving education, pre-student exposure etc.)
As of now, I would like to major in software engineering and eventually open my own software company. Through having my own company, I would seek to create new and innovative technology that would make the world more efficient, safer, and ultimately a better place. Diversity in thought is key to innovation, so through my own software company, I would also focus on attracting a wide variety of workers by attempting to provide opportunities in the STEM industry for young people. People need to realize that although STEM majors in college are tough, the field is also very rewarding.
4. Who inspires you the most about the science, technology, engineering or mathematics fields? Why?
My father inspires me the most about the STEM fields. He started out as a math teacher, but ended up as the CIO of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Over my childhood he has sparked an interest in me with STEM in various ways, from taking me to shuttle launches to explaining new technology to me. He has inspired me to seek a college major in software engineering.
5. Some students shy away from applying for too many scholarship opportunities because of the fear of not receiving them, what motivated you to apply to this scholarship or others?
College is expensive, and every little bit helps. So when I began applying for scholarships, I tried to apply for any that I could. It also really helps if you find a scholarship pertaining to a field you are interested in. This is why when my school counselor told me about the Inspire and Achieve Scholarship, I knew I should apply. I knew I was interested in the STEM field, and I also knew about the field through my father and my own research, so I was easily motivated. When it comes to scholarships, though, you can never apply for too many.
6. What are you most nervous about concerning college?
I am most nervous about being in a totally new and different place. I am excited about the independence, but the first few weeks of not really knowing or being used to the place I am living makes me a little nervous.
7. What is your personal strategy for success?
My personal strategy for success is hard work and being self-disciplined. There are always distractions that threaten success, but having self-discipline will allow you to focus on the task at hand and achieve success.
Ayra Pokhrel
Sparkman High School
University of Alabama Birmingham
Ayra Pokhrel, graduate of Athens High school in Athens, Alabama, will be attending Auburn University Fall of 2015 for their Software Engineering Program. Ayra is a very deserving student who manages to always leave an outstanding impact on the projects and responsibilities he receives. Academically Ayra enjoys being challenged by problems that require critical thinking skills. Ayra has also been very active in various social clubs on campus that required him to be in a leadership position. At Auburn University, Ayra will be pursuing a degree in software engineering, as he believes companies need workers who are highly technical and innovative.
Ian Thompson
Sparkman High School
University of Alabama Birmingham
1. What is your advice for high school juniors who are starting the college search process?
Start applying early. This is especially true for the Common App, which requires a lot of personal information, an essay, and several other parts that vary by school.
2. What are you looking forward to most about college?
Being in the honors college with other people who have similar interests.
3. How do you think you could inspire diversity in the STEM industry? ( Improving technology, improving education, pre-student exposure etc.)
One of the best ways for me to inspire STEM is to tell my story. My parents are both engineers but neither of their parents were able to attend college. My thrust would be that STEM is the way to secure a successful future, STEM is here, and STEM brings about the changes we so heavily rely on. Exposing others to the benefits of STEM is a major selling point.
4. Who inspires you the most about the science, technology, engineering or mathematics fields? Why?
The endless possibilities that it has for the future. Today we can accomplish feats that hadn’t even been dreamed of five years ago.
5. Some students shy away from applying for too many scholarship opportunities because of the fear of not receiving them, what motivated you to apply to this scholarship or others?
I believed that I should let a scholarship committee reject me instead of eliminating myself. Like the famous adage says, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
6. What are you most nervous about concerning college?
I have a degree of nervous anticipation (rather than fear) about the college environment; the whole concept of being totally responsible for everything, from not being pushed by teachers to put in the study time to making a totally new set of friends to being out on my own is both appealing and somewhat intimidating.
7. What is your personal strategy for success?
Hard work and determination. I make it a priority to complete all homework and projects. I do my best to not procrastinate on assignments. I never take shortcuts or cheat under any circumstances. If you stay ready, you never have to get ready.
Brandon Walker
Hazel Green High School
Auburn University
1. What is your advice for high school juniors who are starting the college search process?
Do not settle for a college. Really find a college you are in love with that offers all the things you want. I visited multiple schools throughout high school just ensuring that the university I attended was the best option for me, and that is ultimately why I am now attending Auburn.
2. What are you looking forward to most about college?
Preparing for my future. I am going to college to get an education first and foremost, so I am excited to see what interesting and helpful things I can learn in the coming years that will help me in my discipline.
3. How do you think you could inspire diversity in the STEM industry? ( Improving technology, improving education, pre-student exposure etc.)
I am pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering. Eventually I hope to work towards getting my Master’s degree and hopefully even a PhD so that I can become a professor, so I definitely would like to work towards a better education for the STEM industry. I am definitely a supporter of the career academies that are starting in some high schools. My high school is now starting to offer programs like a cyber security course and an engineering course. If you have any opportunities to be exposed to STEM jobs prior to college, I would definitely take those opportunities.
4. What are you most nervous about concerning college?
The work load. In engineering, especially at an academically challenging school like Auburn, I know I will have classes that challenge me on a daily basis; however, I look forward too taking on these challenges and using them as preparation for my life after college where I will be facing real world challenges on a daily basis in the same regard.
5. What is your personal strategy for success?
Work hard but do not stress yourself out. You need to first and foremost ensure you are being a responsible student. Pay attention in class, study, and put forth your best effort. Having said that, if after you put forth your best effort you do not come out with the grade you wanted, do not stress out over it. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. All you can do is do your best and be confident in the fact that you tried your hardest. Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before he created the light bulb: so just because you fail the first or second or even third time, does not mean you will not succeed in the end.
In addtion to the Miranda Bouldin STEM Scholarship winners, Miranda Bouldin University Scholarships were also awarded to the following students:
- Samuel Cole, University of Alabama/HSV
- Carmen Cordero-Rivera, University of Alabama/HSV
- Martin Flores, University of Alabama/HSV
- Jake Mooneyham, Auburn University
Congratulations to all of our 2015 Miranda Bouldin STEM Scholarship winners!
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Inspire & Achieve is a Non-Profit Organization promoting higher education, undergraduate scholarships, and Cybersecurity awareness to the community. For additional information, please email us at info@inspireandachieve.net.